Enjoy Tuscany's top tastes

Enjoy Tuscany's top tastes

Castello di Gabbiano had all the right elements ancient stone walls, gorgeous views of the vineyards and olive groves, and the sense of calm that comes with a country location.Karen Hawthorne
/ National Post

Castello di Gabbiano. The castle has 11 rooms and four nearby apartments, each with its own decor.Handout photo
/ Castello di Gabbiano.

Even if you don't already dream of days under the Tuscan sun, if you talk to Ivano Reali, you'll soon be dreaming.

Reali is the managing director of a Tuscan castle that dates back to the 12th century.

It includes a winery that's been operating since the Renaissance and a restaurant where the favourite seats are on a patio amid the grapevines.

And once Reali describes how to spend the perfect day in the area, you'll surely want to start packing.

"You start just south of Florence," says Reali, who speaks English with a melodic Italian accent. (He worked in New York City for 11 years.)

You get on a winding back road -- "it's called the 222; it's easy to find in the village of Grassina" -- and spend your day making your way past vineyards, up forested hills and stopping in ancient villages, until you hit Siena.

"If you didn't stop at all, this drive would take you, maybe an hour and a half to two hours," says Reali. "But you should take your time on this fantastic road, where you go through some of the most beautiful villages in Chianti.

"Then you can return on the autostrada and be back beside the castle's swimming pool, where you can relax with a bottle of wine before dinner."

Reali was in Ottawa last week to spread the word about Castello di Gabbiano -- the castle and the winery of the same name. I asked him to name the top tastes of Tuscany -- the foods and drinks a visitor shouldn't miss -- and it turns out you can find all of them on his favourite drive.

Chianti Classico

"Number 1," says Reali, "is that you should stay in a wine area, where it's not as hot as some other parts of Italy, and taste the wine there, where it's made."

Castello di Gabbiano is in an area designated "Chianti Classico," to differentiate it from the lower-quality, ordinary Chianti many North Americans remember in bottles with woven baskets.

"Chianti is the most known red Italian wine, and what we're doing now is improving the quality," says Reali.

Reali says Chianti Classico is smoother and richer-tasting than ordinary Chianti, but "for me, it is not only about the wine, but the area it comes from.

"I think Chianti Classico comes from one of the most beautiful areas in the world, with these fantastic hills, with olive trees and old houses from the Renaissance, and when you taste it, you see all that."

Chianti Riserva

"You should also try a Riserva, to taste the difference," says Reali. "Each winery in the area (there are more than 300) does a regular Chianti Classico, which is released after one year, and also a Riserva, which is released after two years."

Riservas, which generally cost a third more than regular Classicos, are made with the vineyard's best grapes, from the best slopes.

"Riservas have more body, more concentration, more fruit and more alcohol," says Reali. "They're a better wine, but Classicos are an easier wine. A Riserva needs more reflection."

Affettati

At 4 p.m., says Reali, you should stop for affettati.

"It's the best appetizer. It's always a mix of prosciutto -- Tuscan prosciutto is a bit salty -- and salami and pancetta. It needs to be fresh, cut immediately after you order. It's served on a plate, with bread and sometimes pecorino (cheese). It's fun. It's something you share with other people. You are together, you talk and share a nice bottle of wine."

Bistecca Fiorentina

"The steak comes from the Chianina cow, from the Chiana valley near Cortona," says Reali.

Popular also in Brazil, the Chianina is one of the oldest breeds of cattle in the world, dating back to the Roman Empire.

Olives aren't native to Tuscany, Reali says, since the area isn't temperate enough. "Every five or six years, we have a harsh winter and lose many trees."

Olive oil is made at Castello di Gabbiano, but just 3,000 bottles a year. While the estate's wine is exported all over the world, you can buy the olive oil only at the castle's cellar door.

"The olive oil really is magnificent," says Reali. "We pick the olives early. If you wait, you get more oil, but it gets bitter and aggressive. Our oil is nice and crisp. Sometimes I even have trouble adding the vinegar" (to make a vinaigrette).

In summer: a salad

In Italy, the emphasis is always on what is fresh right on your doorstep, says Reali.

"In summer, I love a mixed salad that comes right from the garden; the lettuce, the tomatoes and cucumbers are so fresh. It's tossed with our olive oil and red-wine vinegar. We make a balsamic-style vinegar, but we can't call it balsamic vinegar, because that's only from Modena and Reggio Emilia, about an hour away."

Like the olive oil, the vinegar -- called Delizi del Castello -- is sold only at the castle's cellar door.

In autumn: wild boar

"Fall is the season for cinghiale; it's hunting season for wild boar in Tuscany," says Reali. "It's a true Tuscan dish in the fall. It's very robust, always done with a nice, spicy tomato sauce. You would have it for dinner with a Riserva."

Cappuccino

"Cappuccino is what I miss most when I'm out of Italy," says Reali. "You can get fantastic espresso in North America, but cappuccino, no. For us Italians, you only have cappuccino in the morning. If you see someone order a cappuccino after dinner, you know they're a foreigner."

Peposo

"In Tuscany, they don't put salt in the bread," says Reali. "I once asked why, and was told that it's because the food has more chilies than other areas, so you don't need the salt in the bread."

It's the specialty of the town of Impruneta, which is southeast of Florence.

Gelato

"Every city and town in Italy has a gelateria," says Reali. "They will have 20 flavours -- chocolate, vanilla, limona, hazelnut . . .

"When you drive down the 222, in the small villages, you always find the gelateria in the piazza in the centre of the town. You miss a lot of Italy if you don't get out of the big cities; you don't see the heart of it. If you see a small place, go there and experience it. Stop for a gelato. You will be transported."

IF YOU GO

What: Castello di Gabbiano has 11 rooms and four nearby apartments. Cost: Most rooms in the castle cost 180 euros (about $250) a night. Apartment suites are 160 to 180 euros ($220 to $250) a night.

Dining: You can eat in the castle restaurant, Il Cavaliere, even if you're not staying at the castle. It seats 50 inside and 70 on the patio.

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